MLS Rules on Territorial Rights Must Change

Image courtesy of Orlando City SCMajor League Soccer has several archaic rules instituted to provide parity and protect its less ambitious teams. This includes Discovery rights, Allocation Money, and territorial rights. The latter came into play last week when Orlando City gained a first-round draft pick in a trade simply because of their location. That needs to change.

Having territorial rights essentially means MLS teams have the rights to a player who lives in their area. That area differs depending on the team, but is between 75 and 100 miles from the team’s base location. Even if the player has never played for the club or has no interest in playing for the club, he has no choice when…